On The Job Stress Pushes Some To Their Limit

You may have heard about the gas station worker who got fired after leaving a note for his boss complaining that her habit of not showing up on time and failing to let anyone know she would be late, was no longer acceptable. He locked up, taped the note to the door and left.

The note has gone viral, the gas station worker got fired and, now that he’s reached some level of fame, will probably get plenty of job offers.

The writer of the note says he was fed up and couldn’t take it anymore.

There aren’t many things more frustrating to an employee than having a lazy boss. I think this would be a good time to mention that I work for the Hardest Working Man in Radio. And the best thing about working for someone who works hard is that it makes you appreciate the time and effort they put it in. It also raises the bar for what you’re willing to do.

But it works the same way for bosses who are slackers and just because your employees aren’t bold or crazy enough to put it in writing for the world to see, doesn’t mean you’re doing a good job.

As a bosses or employees we should appreciate our positions, show mutual respect and come to the realization that life will be better for both when there’s an effort to make the job environment as pleasant as possible.

In light of the recent shooting at the Fort Hood Military Base in Killeen, Texas, once again mental health and worksite violence and have been brought to the forefront.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries reported 13,827 workplace homicide victims between 1992 and 2010. Averaging over 700 homicides per year, the largest number of homicides in one year (n=1080) occurred in 1994, while the lowest number (n=518) occurred in 2010.

From 2003 to 2010 over half of the workplace homicides occurred within three job categories: sales and related occupations (28%), protective service occupations (17%), and transportation and material moving occupations (13%).

I’m no psychologist but I would guess that high-stress, sleep deprivation, over-work and danger associated with these jobs play a role in the on-the-job violence.

We have an obligation for our own sake to diffuse negativity, report signs of extreme stress and mental illness and to seek help if we begin to see changes in our own level of anxiety.

Compared to what could have happened when that gas station worker decided he had reached his limit, a frustrating note was a lucky outcome for everyone.

Has your boss or a fellow employee ever caused unbearable stress? How did you handle it or how do you wish you would have handled it. If you had to write them a note what would it say?